Plier-like tools

ABSTRACT

A plier-like tool comprising a stationary handle having teeth along a section thereof and a rigid jaw extending normal to the handle at the end thereof. An adjustment housing having an opening therethrough is slidably mounted on the stationary handle. The housing has teeth for locking engagement with the teeth of the stationary handle. A tilting jaw is pivotably mounted to the adjustment housing as is a movable handle. The movable handle terminates in a second contacting means which is positioned to contact a first contacting means on the tilting jaw to pivotably tilt the tilting jaw relative to the rigid jaw. By using a cammed surface as the second contacting means, the jaws can be locked in gripping position and by putting cutting surfaces on the jaws and a feeder pawl assembly in engagement with the teeth of the stationary handle, the tool can be transformed into a progressive cutter.

United States Patent [151 3,657,947 Myers [45] Apr. 25, 1972 54] PLIER-LIKE TOOLS Primary Examiner-James L. Jones, Jr. [72] Inventor: Herman A. Myers, Lake Lynn, Pa. Amman-Webb Burden Robinson Webb [73] Assignee: lnsta-Snap, Inc., Monongahela, Pa. RACT [22] Filed: Mar. 20, 1970 A plier-like tool comprising a stationary handle having teeth Appl. No.: 21,427

along a section thereof and a rigid jaw extending normal to the handle at the end thereof. An adjustment housing having an opening therethrough is slidably mounted on the stationary handle. The housing has teeth for locking engagement with the teeth of the stationary handle. A tilting jaw is pivotably mounted to the adjustment housing as is a movable handle. The movable handle terminates in a second contacting means which is positioned to contact a first contacting means on the tilting jaw to pivotably tilt the tilting jaw relative to the rigid jaw. By using a cammed surface as the second contacting means, the jaws can be locked in gripping position and by putting cutting surfaces on the jaws and a feeder pawl assembly in engagement with the teeth of the stationary handle, the tool can be transformed into a progressive cutter.

6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 25 I972 3. 657, 947

sum 16? 2 INV'IVTOl? HERMAN A. MYERS Attorneys PATENTEuA'PR25m2 Y 3,657,947

SHEET 20F 2- INVENTOI? HERMAN A. MYERS By MM W A Ifomeys PLIER-LIKE TOOLS Standard gripping pliers and cutting pliers, as known heretofore, have their general application limited to small range workpiece sizes. A further disadvantage of such tools is that the grip is no better than the strength of the user of the tool and, therefore, slippage is acommon drawback. In addition, attempts to improve these types of tools have always resulted in complex arrangements.

My invention overcomes these limitations and increases the uses of standard plier-like tools. My invention, when used as a pliers, employs a power multiplying effect to assure a tight grip. Further, my invention permits an actual locking of the tight grip so that pressure doesnot continually have to be exerted bythe user of the tool. Further, my invention can be employed as a progressive cutting device which systematically self-advances througha workpiece by simple movement of the handle. l also provide for the rapid adjustment of my tool to the particular sized workpiece involved. These advantages are accomplished by a design which is simple of structure and readily adaptable to economic manufacture.

My invention is a plier-like tool which can be embodied as a plier or a cutter and which comprises a stationary handle terminating in a rigid jaw and having teeth along a section of the handle. An adjustment housing having an opening slidably mounted on the handle has teeth for locking engagement with the teeth of the handle. A tilting jaw is pivotably mounted to the adjustment housing as is a movable handle. The movable handle has asecond contacting meanspositioned to contact a first contacting means on the tilting jaw to the tilting jaw relative to the rigid jaw.

ln the accompanying drawings, I have shown my presently preferred embodiments of my invention in which:

F IG. 1 is a frontal view of my invention embodied .as a selfadjusting tilting jaw plier; 1

FIG. 2 is a section taken along section lines 2 2 of F IG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a frontal view of a further embodiment of my invention shown as a can lock plier;

FIG. 4 is a section taken along section lines 4 4 of FIG. 3;

.FIG. 5 is a frontal view of still another embodiment of my invention shown as a progressivecutting tool;

FIG; 6 is a section taken along section lines 6 6 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a-frontal view of the adjustment housing of the progressive cutting tool and having the front plate removed.

All of the embodiments of my invention have four basic and common components. The first of these is a stationary handle generally designated 10, terminating in a rigid jaw generally designated 11 normal thereto and having teeth 12 along a section of the handle. The second component is an adjustment housing designated generally 13 having teeth along a surface thereof and which is slidably mounted over the stationary handle 10. The third component is tilting jaw generally designated 14 pivotably mounted to the adjustment housing 13 and the fourth component is a movable handle generally designated 15 which is also pivotably mounted to the adjustment housing 13. The movable handle 15 terminates in a contacting means which engages a contacting on the tilting jaw 14 when the teeth of the handle andadjustment housing are in locking engagement to tilt the jaw 14 relative to the rigid jaw 11.

In FIG. 1 I have shown .my invention embodied as a self-adjusting tilting jaw plier. The tilting jaw 14, which is pivotably mounted to adjusting housing 13 has a curved gear surface 18 about the pivotable connection. Movable handle 15 ter' minates in a geared curved surface 19, also about its pivotable connection to the adjustment housing 13. The geared surfaces 18 and 19 are in meshing engagement so that movement of the handle 15 causes movement of the tilting jaw 14 relative to rigid jaw 11. Various gearratios on surfaces 18 and 19 result in different pressure ratios.

The adjustment housing '13 has a section 20 with teeth 21 which engage the teeth 12 of handle 10, see FIG. 2. The adjustment housing 13 is slidably mounted on the handle to permit adjustment to engage a workpiece, not shown. When the workpiece is roughly engaged, the handle 15 is moved downward to a closed position. The teeth 21 of section 20 prevent rearward movement of the adjustment housing 13 and the geared surfaces 18 and 19 mesh to force the tilting jaw 14 into tight, nonslip engagement with the workpiece. As shown, both the rigid jaw 11 and the tilting jaw 14 have serrated surfaces 22 and 23, respectively to insure the nonslip grip.

In FIG. 3, I have shown my invention embodied as a cam lock plier. The movable handle 15 is pivotably mounted to the adjustment housing 13 as is the tilting jaw 14 in the same manner as the embodiment of FIG. 1. The adjustment housing 13 has a section 25 having teeth 26 thereon for locking engagement with the teeth 12 of handle 10, see FIG. 4. However, tilting jaw 14 has a smooth surface 27 for engaging the handle 15. In this embodiment, handle 15 terminates in a cammed surface 28.

The operation of this embodiment is as follows. Adjustment housing 13 is slidably adjusted on handle 10 to roughly engage a workpiece, not shown. As the handle 15 is moved to a closed position, the locking engagement of teeth 26 of section 25 of adjustment housing 13 with the teeth 12 of handle 10 prevents the rearward movement thereof. At the same time, the cammed surface 28 is forcing the tilting jaw 14 into tight engagement with the workpiece. As the handle 15 continues toward a closed position, the over-center position of the cam is reached, thereby locking the tilting jaw 14 in place against the workpiece. Again, rigid jaw 11 and tilting jaw 14 have serrated surfaces 29 and 30, respectively to aid in the gripping. The length of the handle 15 and the cammed surface 28, in combination about the pivot connection, result in a substantial power multiplying effect. A slight force on handle 15 causes a substantial gripping force to be placed on a workpiece and, of course, this gripping force is locked in place when the cam reaches its over-center position.

As shown in FIGS. 5 through 7, the cammed surface principle of FIGS. 3 and 4 can be embodied into a progressive cutter. In this embodiment, the serrated surfaces of jaw 11 and tilting jaw 14 are replaced by cutting edges 35 and 36, respectively. The movable handle 15 terminates in the cammed surface 37 about handle 15s pivotable connection 16 to adjustment housing 13. The cam 37 does not have an over-center position as the cam 28 of the earlier embodiment. Therefore, downward movement of handle 15 continues to force the cutting edge 36 against the workpiece, not shown. Adjustment housing 13 has section 38 having teeth 39 for locking engagement with the teeth 12 of handle 10.

A feeder pawl arrangement is employed to make the cutter a progressive cutter. The feeder pawl 41 has a pivotable connection 40 to handle 15 at a point slightly offset from pivotable connection 16. Feeder pawl 41 terminates in teeth 42 which engage teeth 12 of handle 10 at a point downstream from where teeth 39 engage teeth 12. A feeder pawl spring 43 cooperates with the top of feeder pawl 41 and a bottom recess in handle 15 to urge the feeder pawl teeth into engagement with teeth 12. An car 44 depends outwardly from feeder pawl 41 to permit the depression of spring 43" to remove the locking engagement. A further leaf tension spring 45 is secured to adjustment housing 13 and cooperates with the bottom surface of handle 10 to urge adjustment housing 13 in a direction such that the teeth 39 are in looking engagement with the teeth 12.

The operation of the progressive cutter is as follows. From an open position, handle 15 is brought downward to a closed position. Cammed surface 37 acts upon tilting jaw 14 to force blade 36 into the workpiece. A small pressure on the end of handle 15 is greatly multiplied by the lever arm and cam arrangement to many fold multiply the pressure into a substantial force. The workpiece, of course, is also severed by cutting edge 35 at the same time. During this downward movement, the adjustment housing 13 is prevented from rearward movement by the engagement of teeth 39 and 12. At the same time, the teeth 42 of feeder pawl 41 are being withdrawn from the teeth 12 since pivotable connection 411 is being swung rearward as handle 15 pivots about connection 16. Ultimately,

teeth 42 engage new teeth of teeth 12. At the end of the downward movement the feeder pawl teeth 42 are in locking engagement with the teeth 12. Upward movement of 15 into an open position advances the adjustment housing 13 and the tilting jaw 14 into the workpiece since the feeder pawl 41 has assumed a locking position with a new rearward set of teeth. Therefore, the closing of the handle cuts into the workpiece and an opening of the handle advances the cutting edge and the adjustment housing into the cut to permit an additional cut to be made. The repeated opening and closing of the handle results in a rapid cutting of the workpiece.

l have thus provided a plier-like tool which can be embodied in several ways to provide rapid adjustment, sure gripping and locking engagement of a particular workpiece.

lclaim:

1. A plier-like tool comprising:

A. a stationary handle terminating in a rigid jaw having a cutting surface and normal thereto, said handle having teeth along a section thereof;

B. an adjustment housing having an opening therethrough slidably mounted on said handle, said housing having teeth along a section thereof for locking engagement with the teeth of said handle;

C. a tilting jaw having a cutting surface and pivotably mounted to said adjustment housing and extending in substantially parallel relationship to said rigid jaw and having a first contacting means;

D. a movable handle pivotably mounted to said adjustment housing and terminating in second contacting means, said second contacting means positioned to contact said first contacting means when the teeth of said adjustment housing are in locking engagement with the teeth of said handle to pivotably tilt the tilting jaw relative to the rigid jaw; and

E. a feeder pawl pivotably mounted to the movable handle and in feeding engagement with the teeth of said handle so that in an opening operation of the movable handle from a closed position the feeder pawl acts upon the teeth of the handle to advance the adjustment housing forward along the handle by a predetermined number of teeth.

2. A plier-like tool comprising:

A. a stationary handle terminating in a rigid jaw normal thereto, said handle having teeth along a section thereof;

B. an adjustment housing having an opening therethrough slidably mounted on said handle and having a first end on the side of the stationary handle from which the rigid jaw extends and a second end on the opposing side of the stationary handle, said housing having teeth along a section thereof for locking engagement with the teeth of said handle;

C. a tilting jaw pivotably mounted to the second end of the adjustment housing and extending in substantially parallel relationship to said rigid jaw and having a smooth surface contacting means; and

D. a movable handle pivotably mounted to the first end of the adjustment housing and terminating in a cammed surface locking means said cammed surface locking means engaging said smooth surface in a closing operation to increasingly force the tilting jaw against a workpiece and lock the tilting jaw against the workpiece when the cammed surface locking means reaches an over-center position.

3. The plier-like tool of claim 1 wherein a pawl spring extends between the pawl feeder and the movable handle to urge the pawl feeder against the teeth of the stationary handle.

4. The plier-like tool of claim 3 wherein a spring means cooperates with adjustment housing and the stationary handle to urge the engagement of the teeth of the stationary handle with the teeth of the adjustment housing, the depression of the spring disengaging said teeth to permit slidable adjustment of the adjustment housing.

5. The plier-like tool of claim 3 wherein the pawl feeder has an ear dependin therefrom to depress said lpawl spring to disengage the paw feeder from the teeth of t e stationary handle.

6. The plier-like tool of claim 4 wherein the spring means is a leaf tension spring secured to the adjustment housing. 

1. A plier-like tool comprising: A. a stationary handle terminating in a rigid jaw having a cutting surface and normal thereto, said handle having teeth along a section thereof; B. an adjustment housing having an opening therethrough slidably mounted on said handle, said housing having teeth along a section thereof for locking engagement with the teeth of said handle; C. a tilting jaw having a cutting surface and pivotably mounted to said adjustment housing and extending in substantially parallel relationship to said rigid jaw and having a first contacting means; D. a movable handle pivotably mounted to said adjustment housing and terminating in second contacting means, said second contacting means positioned to contact said first contacting means when the teeth of said adjustment housing are in locking engagement with the teeth of said handle to pivotably tilt the tilting jaw relative to the rigid jaw; and E. a feeder pawl pivotably mounted to the movable handle and in feeding engagement with the teeth of said handle so that in an opening operation of the movable handle from a closed position the feeder pawl acts upon the teeth of the handle to advance the adjustment housing forward along the handle by a predetermined number of teeth.
 2. A plier-like tool comprising: A. a stationary handle terminating in a rigid jaw normal thereto, said handle having teeth along a section thereof; B. an adjustment housing having an opening therethrough slidably mounted on said handle and having a first end on the side of the stationary handle from which the rigid jaw extends and a second end on the opposing side of the stationary handle, said housing having teeth along a section thereof for locking engagement with the teeth of said handle; C. a tilting jaw pivotably mounted to the second end of the adjustment housing and extending in substantially parallel relationship to said rigid jaw and having a smooth surface contacting means; and D. a movable handle pivotably mounted to the first end of the adjustment housing and terminating in a cammed surface locking means said cammed surface locking means engaging said smooth surface in a closing operation to increasingly force the tilting jaw against a workpiece and lock the tilting jaw against the workpiece when the cammed surface locking means reaches an over-center position.
 3. The plier-like tool of claim 1 wherein a pawl spring extends between the pawl feeder and the movable handle to urge the pawl feeder against the teeth of the stationary handle.
 4. The plier-like tool of claim 3 wherein a spring means cooperates with adjustment housing and the stationary handle to urge the engagement of the teeth of the stationary handle with the teeth of the adjustment housing, the depression of the spring disengaging said teeth to permit slidable adjustment of the adjustment housing.
 5. The plier-like tool of claim 3 wherein the pawl feeder has an ear depending therefrom to depress said pawl spring to disengage the pawl feeder from the teeth of the stationary handle.
 6. The plier-like tool of claim 4 wherein the spring means is a leaf tension spring secured to the adjustment housing. 